My Life, My Words, My reality!

On My Kanye Workout Plan….

All those mocha lattes, you gotta do pilates!– Kanye West

I woke up one morning and realised that something had to happen; my body was changing right before my eyes and I hated what I saw.

It has been three years since I dropped down from a US size 14/16 to a 6/8. The weight loss came off rather quickly and once I let go of negative people and situations, things started turning around for the better. Many people asked what my secret was and truthfully, I had none. Once I got rid of the unnecessary stress, I started becoming more active thanks to my PE (physical education) class and I no longer put off going to the gym. By the time I started my last year in university, I was a completely different person. People who didn’t even look my way started paying attention (not that I wanted them too), and I was feeling more confident in the new me. Hard work and dedication was something that I instilled in my workouts but also in my classes that year. Being on the Dean’s List the last two semesters of that year only boosted my ego, and proved that I could change any situation.

Now that I live in another country, certain things took me a while to get adjusted too. As days went back and late night meals became more frequent, I was getting the feeling that things will go downhill for me if I don’t get my ish together…and fast. I ran when I had the energy but it wasn’t until I hurt my knee that I knew this was going to be a challenge. To be frank, I don’t even know how I injured it but it left me out of commission for a month and half. In that time, I enjoyed every pastry and fast food you could imagine. KFC that made me sick in the States, my body was now craving. Cheesecake that I hardly ate had now become a food I couldn’t wait to consume. Let’s be honest, I was enjoying eating and spending time with the boo but I was getting TOO comfortable. Not realizing how quickly I was putting on weight, I went to register with a GP (General Practicioner). It was the wake up call that I needed. Stepping on that scale and getting my waist measured snapped me back to reality. How the hell did I gain this much weight? Why did I indulge in chips, crisps and everything that tasted so good? What happened to my self control?

WTF.

I went home and cried. Cried because the months leading up to my trip, I was obsessed with my nightly runs and working out online with my former roomie. So how the hell am I now having a hard time fitting into some of my clothes?! I could no longer deny my weight and stripped down in front of the wardrobe mirror. My once toned arms were getting meaty, my back was getting flabby and my toned thighs were slowly rubbing together.

Why must BAD food be soooooooo tasty?!? sigh*

Now many would say just join the gym! However, in this case it wasn’t that easy for me. The gym cost money and at the time my funds were LOW. As my knee started healing, I decided to walk more but my inability to turn away from processed foods was becoming a hinderance to me reaching my goal. I can’t be Humpty Dumpty ringing in the new year and with the added stress of grad school, I didn’t need the added weight to do my head in. Lord knows that I don’t have any money to buy anything past a size 8. So I turned to Instagram to get inspired and I was also inspired by many pictures of people who lost weight on my Facebook feed. If they could gain weight and lose it, so I could I. Trying to workout in my flat was a complete joke. I barely had energy to finish and if I weren’t reading, researching for class I was sprawled out on the couch (settee) watching some daytime drama. Feeling very self conscious of the new skin I was in, I decided that once I got some money, I was going to give me a gift- a gym membership.

Let’s be clear here, I haven’t stepped foot in a gym since 2011. My daily workouts consisted of hitting the pavements of DC and my apartment living room. It was free and I still achieved results, however this time around was going to be pricey. Thankfully, I have a gym 5 minutes away from my flat and I’ve been eyeing it for awhile. After positive feedback from the boyfriend, I decided to do something about my issue. The only thing negative about gym memberships are the prices. When I did the GBP to USD conversion, my monthly costs were $32 a month (£20). For the next 12 months, this gym will become my friend and closest confidant because I love a healthy me.

A few days in and I couldn’t believe the amazing feeling I got on the treadmill. Listening to the latest Drake album, Nothing Was the Same, I enjoyed feeling the sweat roll down my face as my body urged me to take it up a notch. My body longed for this, craved it actually. Abs, I crunched. Legs, I lunged. Planks, I slowly cursed out every second of the way. I was elated, inspired and feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment in myself. I am actually looking forward to tomorrow’s run. My goal is to be a size 6 by the time Christmas rolls around. I am currently a size US 10, and that needs to change ASAP. Exercise is not the only thing that I need to incorporate into my healthy lifestyle, but I have made a conscious effort to clean up my diet.

So I am saying good bye to fast food, processed foods and anything that is high in fat and sugar. The most time I eat processed foods is when I am in London for school. With McDonalds right next to the station, it is easy just to pop in and get a meal for less than £5. However, there are alternatives that I will now be using and instilling a level of discipline to attain my goals. My accountability partner besides myself has been assigned and he will be on this journey with me…not only to lose weight but to be healthy.

Hopefully by the time Christmas rolls around, I would be able to see if I have achieved my goal and will show you my progress pictures as well! Unfortunately don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here, however, I will still be keeping tradition and so that is my afforded cheat day! Thinking about it now makes my mouth water. HAHAHA I’m such a fat girl.

By the way, anyone who has a goal…it can be scary at first, but once you dedicate yourself to something, it gets a lot easier. Trust me, I know.